Slow Chemical
by ambermaree.x
Summary: Living a life of solitude, Kori's only company was that of the voices in her head. These voices would predict things that no one was meant to know, and they always came true. Night/Star.
1. Hearts Burst Into Fire

I've always imagined, if Starfire ever had a dog it would most likely be a girl dog. One of those handbag dogs. Not my personal favourite, but thats how I've always envisioned it. Oh, PS. I'm a NZer, so some grammar and spelling will be a bit different. Please review! Would be greatly appreciated.

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_**I'm Leaving. Have I fucked things up again? I'm dreaming. Too much time we'd have to spend. And its hurts, wounds so sore - Now I'm torn. Now I'm torn. - Bullet For My Valentine, Hearts Burst Into Fire.**_

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The voices in Kori's head were talking again.

What were they talking about this time? They told her how disgusting her eyes were, it wasn't her fault that her eyes shone such a vibrant green. The voices reminded her that the public were talking about how freakish they were behind her back. Her heart broke, it wasn't her fault that she was born like that.

She looked on the news. Robin, beaten to death by The Joker. Beaten, bloodied, bruised and left for dead. Kori shed a tear… not because of his death, Oh X'Hal, it was a sad affair to be left in such a state by someone so sadistic. She didn't even cry because Batman held his sidekick, blood trailing down his sides as he silently mourned. The dynamic duo was no more, and yet Kori did not feel for this separation.

Kori should have listened to the voices in her head. They were right.

They always were.

They told her when and where the death of Robin was going to take place, but Kori couldn't bring herself to save the sidekick. If anyone knew about the audio hallucinations, people would think she was crazy. Then if people learnt that the voices spoke nothing but the truth,

People would stay away from her.

Freak. Loner. Crazy. Yup, Kori knew that's what they would say. Her eyes were abnormal enough as it was, she couldn't go through that torment again. She had nowhere, she had no one. Kori was truly alone. With that, a shallow smile appeared on her face – she knew that was the truth. Who would want to comfort poor Kori Anders? She's been alone for majority of her life.

X'Hal – that entity definitely made sure Kori's life on Earth was a misery story.

Kori stared at the television, still focusing on the death of Robin. She listened intently to see what else was true about her predictions. Robin had recklessly charged into battle essentially disobeying Batman and his orders, the final blow was delivered with a crowbar, Batgirl had been paralyzed with a gunshot to the lower abdomen… She had even predicted Nightwings public statement saying that Robin wasn't dead, but was in fact just in a coma.

**You know why Nightwing would say that.**

Kori shook her head, _I wouldn't know why. You say Robin is dead, but Nightwing says that he is only in a coma._

**Batman needs to appear unbreakable. He will find a new sidekick, there is no Batman without a Robin. That's how the public sees them.**

_Bruce Wayne would disregard the life of his adopted son and replace the mantle of Robin so easily? What a heartless thing to do._

**It's Bruce Wayne, everything is either about the safety of others or strictly business. If it wasn't for Catwoman, there probably wouldn't be anything else.**

Yup, and the voices told Kori who each superhero was. Many of them were all successful businessmen, apparently Superman worked with the new journalist infamous Lois Lane. Kori laughed at the thought of the strongest person in the world typing on a computer all day. Oh well, definitely each to their own.

**I've got a feeling something huge is going to pop up.**

_Things normally do. I feel so vulnerable that I cannot do anything about it._

**But X'Hal grants you the ability to fly at the speed of light, to shoot balls of energy from not only your arms, but your eyes. You have strength with that compared to Superman. **

_I was granted the ability to shoot my bolts not by X'Hal, but by the Psions that tormented me for my childhood. In addition, my long seclusion made me hear you in my head. X'Hal has forsaken me. Where are my friends and family that once stood with me? _

That knew how to shut the voices up. Kori didn't shed a tear. This was a feeling she was all too familiar with, instead, she sat in the confinements of her own silence as she laid down on her couch. She felt a small Maltese x Shih Tzu jump on her chest, bowing her small head upon her mistress' breast. Kori stroked her head, she knew when her beloved Silkie could feel her pain, and being the loyal dog she was, she crawled into her Ruby locks, snuggling against her ear.

Kori cradled the dog. At least she had something that would show her unconditional love.

That was one thing in life she was grateful for.

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Richard Grayson took off his sunglasses, it had been a week since the death of his beloved younger brother.

He may have had an attitude problem – Jesus above, he knew how to get on Dick's bad side whether he was billionaire playboy Dick Grayson or the infamous Nightwing. But really, a death in the family was definitely uncalled for. Beneath that hard exterior, he loved his brother more than anything, he just had a rough upbringing. Those walls didn't come crashing down, so he became a destructive, angry delinquent who was just lost.

Dick knew Bruce saw potential in him. Did Bruce put a lot of pressure on the second Robin? Did his expectations cause Jason to break? He knew these questions were circulating within his fathers' brain. With Bruces' stoic look, he knew he was taking this the hardest.

"How are you feeling?"

Barbara gave a heaving sigh. She couldn't say much.

"Like I just got shot with a gun."

Richard gave a small smirk. The night Barbara found out she was paralyzed from the waist down, she went frantic. His heart went out to her. He held her while she cried in his chest, he could feel her pain ripping at him and as a friend, he wanted to take all that pain away.

As a friend.

Richard noticed the looks Barbara gave him on and off the field. With her in this condition, he couldn't up and leave her. She was at her weakest, and he knew Barbara would drop everything in an instant to be there when she needed to be picked up. Now she couldn't use her lower body, it was like her whole life had ended – he could definitely see the hope slowly leaving her eyes.

"Things will get better."

Babs bowed her head, tossing her light locks in a high bun. She sure had damaged her hair enough with all the tears she had spilt – she would be surprised if she had any tears left to shed.

"I'm useless now, Dick. What could I do now? I can't go in on the field when you guys need me, I can't run, walk, jump… Hell, I don't even know how I'll look after myself without my basic mode of transportation!"

Dick found his hand caressing hers. Though he didn't want to send the girl mixed messages, he knew that was she was going through was life changing. It was something he will never be able to understand, so for the meantime, all he could do was be his shoulder to cry on. He could do that without breaking the girl even further.

"We will figure something out. It will get better, trust me."

Babs leant up, throwing her small arms around his neck. Dick gave a small smirk of his own, the charm of Dick Grayson always worked on everyone.

"Thank you Dick, I don't know what I'd do without you."

After watching Babs slowly cry herself to sleep, Dick gave a stroke of her head before kissing her forehead. He needed to now console his now broken father. Never would Bruce admit that he was wrong, nor what Jason did was right, but like any other father – he would be hurting. He didn't think Bruce was capable of hurting until this very moment. He kind of wished this never happened, if anything, it was a heart breaking situation to see your custodial in.

Jumping in his Astin Martin, he let the songs of the radio soothe him and give him strength. Alfred aside, he knew he would have to be the rock of the family. He didn't mind as much, it gave him the opportunity to find strength in places he never thought existed.

Pulling into the manor, he was greeted by an ever so poised Alfred who took his coat. He had a cup of hot chocolate waiting for him. Dick gave his thanks.

"Where's the old man?"

Alfred let out a sigh, "The Master is isolating himself in work, he says that he does not wish to be disturbed unless it is an emergency."

"Did you manage to kick some sense into him?"

"It is Master Bruce. He reasons with nothing but logic."

"I take that as a no."

"Unfortunately."

Alfred took his leave. With things the way they were, Dick had to reside in the manor for the time being to make sure everything was okay. Walking up the stairs, he decided to go and have a lie down. He walked past Jason's room.

Just as Dick was about to enter, he heard a heavy breathing from the opposite side. _I thought the old man was in his library?_

Leaving Bruce with his moment of uninterrupted peace, he allowed his father to mourn silently as he began to walk away, trying not to disrupt as if to say he had heard Bruce weep for his son. He didn't want to see his father so broken, and Dick was pretty sure Bruce didn't want to be seen so vulnerable. With that, he went into his room with a small grimace of the brow. Lying down, he turned to face the wall, coming into visual contact with an all too familiar poster.

The Circus of The Flying Graysons.

_Hmm. At least I know Jason won't be alone._

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Walking down the street, it was Kori's day off. She decided to try and be proactive and get out of her house.

Putting her holo-ring on, she put Silkie on a leash and went for a walk in the park. Both her and Silkie saw the beautiful flowers beginning to bloom around the concrete fountains. They were the most gorgeous pansies she had ever seen, they had ranged from a rainbow of colours. She couldn't resist, she had to take a picture with her beloved dog in front of the flowers. Now she could tell Donna that she too could be a photographer.

"Kori!"

Speaking of which, there stood the ebony haired beauty wearing a white loose singlet, black ripped jeans and some wedges. She had a thin winged liner, some blush and matching gloss. If she wasn't a photographer, she could easily take Kori's place as a model.

"Donna! Oh, how glorious it is to see you!"

**Pity, she's your only friend. **

_I do not need an abundance of friends, just true ones._

Sharing a hug, Donna broke the embrace and handed Kori a regular soy vanilla latte. Kori took note of the grande sized cappuccino with extra shot written in the notes side of the paper cup.

"I see you have had another busy night once again."

"Guess you saw the extra shot part. You know me too well."

Sitting down on the park bench, Kori let Silkie run off her leash as she began to chase the pigeons that were swarming near the public bird bath. Keeping note, Kori made notes about Donna's life. To help her get through life, Kori would model occasionally – just freelance stuff. To be honest, Kori was amazing in front of the camera, she had personality behind every shot and she definitely had the body to fill it. Because of her work, Donna is a young successful photographer who is very well off. Donna split the money with Kori, allowing Kori to live as freely, but sitting at home listening to the voices in her head did things, so she picked up a waitressing job.

"Jesus Kor, you should model. I can build you a portfolio, you'd be hired in an instant."

**Oh that's right, Donna doesn't know you're from another planet. **

_Please, I implore you to quieten down._

"I do not feel comfortable that I will be hired. I fear that I am too foreign looking to be accepted in this modelling industry."

"Be that as it may, you make enough on one shoot with me than you do 4 months' work as a waitress. Am I missing something?"

Kori bowed her head, these voices gave her confidence that of an insecure teenager. She hated her eyes, her freakish natural hair colour, how she is orange, how she doesn't have eyebrows… All that was covered with a holo-ring. If only her true self could be accepted in this society. After much thought, Kori concluded that there was not one person in this solar system that knew of Kori's heritage.

And so they shouldn't, she didn't want people to know she comes from a forsaken planet, stripped of its honour and pride.

"I cannot perform as well unless I am comfortable with my photographer. That is why I like to perform for you as I know you."

Donna knew there was more than that, but looking at the hesitation on her best friends face, she chose to leave it. Kori looked down at the ground, giving a small jolt as she heard the voices in her head voice their opinion. She was pleased that her ring covered her natural Tamaranean instincts, because her eyes began to glow that neon green as her audio hallucinations became louder, creating realisations. Kori tried to move her mouth to engage in civil conversation, but the voices grew stronger in power, restraining Kori from acting normal.

**You know who Donna is, right?**

_Yes, she is a true friend. That is all I need to know._

**Right, ask her if she knows a person named Diana Prince.**

_So she could question my sanity? I think not._

"Kori, are you okay? You seem quiet." Donna took a small noting to Kori's face, it was becoming extremely pale. Donna could also notice a small frustrated frown burrowing her eyebrows. She could tell something was up.

"I am fine-…"

**No you're not. Should I reveal who you're in the presence of?**

"No! Don't tell me who Donna is! She is a true friend, that is all I need to know!" Kori dug her fingers in her hair, shielding herself away from Donna's concerned look.

"Of course I'm a true friend Kori! What's wrong? You're not acting right…"

**True friends don't lie. She's a superhero like the rest of them. You'd probably be able to guess it if you looked hard enough. **

"She is not a superhero! She is normal like everyone else!" Kori was beyond the point of being frantic. She couldn't speak to her voices in her head quietly without hearing her own voice. Unfortunately, this was the only way she could reason with these spoken words circling her head.

"Super… hero? Kori?" Donna hesitated for a bit, pulling her hand back with a face that spoke of realisation and shock. She had been so secretive for these past years, she tried so hard to protect those she loved, and innocent people - like Kori, her face was prime example of innocence. But seeing her in this new light, Wonder Woman promised that this façade would never face in the public, but at this point…

**Troia.**

"You're Troia?!"

And with that, the voices took control of her motor function to speak. All hell broke loose, and all Kori could do was sit there with tears streaming down her face.

"Wonder Woman is Diana Prince, she is your sister. You two descend from Themyscira as Amazonian Princesses. You were created as a playmate, but Dark Angel abducted you-…"

In a split second, Kori found function in her right hand as she slapped herself as hard as she could across the cheek, forcing the voices to back away from her motor functions – but the damage had already been dealt.

Looking at Donna's face, she sat there with an expression that said she had no idea what to do. Mixed emotions ran through her at light speed, and all Donna could do was sit there, questioning who this person she once called a best friend was. She thought she hid these secrets so well, no one – not even Terry knew. He only figured it all out after she confided, and she could tell he was genuinely surprised by her revelations. Yet, here the two girls sat. Donna lost with what to do.

Donna's superhero persona had risen with the change in her eye. She was no longer the best friend Kori knew.

"Kori, I don't know how you know all this, but I'm going to have to take you back to-…"

"NO. You cannot! I will not be held captive again!"

Donna used her superhero might to restrain Kori, but Kori used her own force to disarm the Amazonian warrior. Chasing after her beloved pet dog, Kori scooped the dog in her arms as she began to run. However, Donna was not about to give up that easily. She had picked up her flight, closing in on Kori.

However, Kori could do that too. Only a lot faster.

Pressing off the ground with her heel, the only happy feeling she could ignite was the only feeling she could ever generate. It was not something she had experienced, but the thought of it gave her comfort knowing that one day, Kori could be truly happy. To be welcomed in the arms of another, not as Kori Anders, but as Koriand'r.

Tears ran down her face.

She dreamt of being loved by one.

And that dream was enough to leave Donna bewildered in a distinct energy contrail, looking as if it were coming out from her hair.

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Donna frowned, there was no way she could catch up to her now. Her once best friend left flying that near to the speed of light. To say she was shocked was by far and understatement. She felt pathetic for letting an innocent civilian fool her.

The issue at hand was by far what she had expected. This girl knew who she was. She didn't think Kori was the type of person to go off and tell everyone – but then again, she had just found out that Kori was probably an Extra Terrestrial herself. She didn't know what to do, but she knew one thing was certain – If Kori could possibly know this about Donna, what else did she know about the rest of them?

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Donna couldn't leave the fate of the League in the hands of a small waitress. She needed to be reprimanded.

"Diana? We need to hold an emergency meeting. Make sure _everyone _is there."

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	2. Sail

Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate it! I've had a story like this stuck in my head since I've ever first started writing fanfic. I must have been about 11? So that was some time ago. No more Mary-Sues for me, I've learnt my lesson.

Because I've fallen in love with this story line since I was so young, I want to be proud of this and do it justice - the way I see it playing out in my head. I've written stories I know that have great plot lines, but due to lack of time, interest and energy, I was never able to do justice. With this one, I'm making it my goal to do myself proud, so I hope you enjoy this!

PS. Please ignore grammatical errors, its 4am and really wanted to update. Will go through tomorrow and re-correct,

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**_This is how an angel dies, I blame it on my own sick pride. Blame it on my A-D-D, baby. - Awolnation, Sail._**

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_A young 13 year old Kori awoke from a deep slumber. With no sunlight to recharge her energy, she was nothing but an empty battery. She was hollow. Oh how she craved for some sunlight._

_But here she resided in a dark stoned torture chamber, chained to the wall, surrounded with few Tameraneans that have lived through this inhumane torture. She could hear one of her previous hand maidens screaming in the next room, begging to die. She could see through the rod iron barrier. It was no less than a few seconds it was like her mouth was gagged with a stiff object coming from the masters' abdomen, yet her body was being push and pulled from the other guard standing behind her backside._

_Kori had no tears to spill for a girl who was once her friend, she had already used them for her K'norfkas' bodyguard that had taken her place. Never had she felt so useless as a princess. She didn't even deserve that title, no great princess would let her people end up in this forsaken prison. It was sadistic, inhumane… and there was nothing she could do about it._

_Kori peered down her legs, there was more blood coming from in between her legs. She bowed her head in disgust. She was no longer pure, nor was she taken willingly with love. No respectable man would ever take her now._

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"_Sis? Will we ever get out of here?"_

_Kori looked down at her little brother, her heart broke as she saw the swelling of his right eye flare up. He had tears drawing from both eyes, fusing with the blood that ran down his nose. His shoulder looked disfigured and he smelt of bodily waste from the guards._

_But he still smiled._

"_Soon, my brother."_

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"Why! Why did you do this to me?! I had finally made at least one true friend. Why must you push away people I want to be close with?!"

No, she couldn't stay here. Donna had been to her apartment a few times. She could come knocking with other Justice League members. They would hold her hostage, take her beloved Silkie away from her. A tear streamed down her face, all Kori ever wanted was to be a normal person. She knew that life would never be possible with these hallucinations that have forever haunted her.

It just wasn't fair.

_I hate you voices! I beg of you! Please leave me alone! I just want to be normal. _

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No reply. How ironic. Why couldn't the voices stay quiet like this?

"Silkie! We must make haste!"

She looked around, she was glad to have worked so excessively. The voices once predicted something along the lines of this would happen eventually, and they were always right with their predictions. Kori packed her overnight bag with essentials, undergarments and grabbing some food for Silkie alongside, she needed to find somewhere she could lay low for a while until all the dust had settled.

Taking a final look at her apartment, a lone tear refused to fall. She couldn't believe to be so foolish to think that maybe she had established a normal life as a minimum waged employer. Kori even let herself believe that maybe, that just maybe, she had made a friend.

Unsurprisingly, Donna ran, just like the rest.

She could feel her heart break even further. All she ever wanted was to be wanted herself. Cuddling her dog in her arms, she let her tears flow into the fur of her dog. Silkie condoled Kori by bowing his head over her shoulder, letting out a small moan as if to say she didn't want to see her owner in pain.

"Silkie, why can I not be like everyone else? Why can't someone else hear the voices I hear?"

Placing her Christian Dior glasses over her eyes, Kori sprinted as fast as she could to the rooftop, clutching to her few bags and her dog for dear life. She needed a thought to sweep her off her feet. And like every other time, it was that same idea that flocked in her head. She wanted to feel love from another person, whether it be alien or human, Kori just wanted to know what it was like to have someone kiss you good night.

Did this guy have an ideal size or height? Kori was not shallow by any means. Sure, looks contributed to one's attraction, but this was only skin deep. She wanted this person to be different – like having a sweet, caring and protective personality. Someone she could confide her deepest, darkest secrets. Someone she could call on her cell phone when she was having the worst of days. Just a person that would laugh at her jokes, even if they were unfunny.

Before she knew it, she could already see a town up ahead, a sign was soon sighted within the overcast horizon.

Big bold letters.

Gotham City.

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Donna sat in the cafeteria, sipping on her grande sized Cappuccino.

She had voiced what had happened to Diana. She explained how the red head became frantic, shaking and screaming - these weren't things Kori did on any sort of basis. Donna had convinced everyone that prior to the event, she had no reason to even think of Kori being some sort of suspect. From one second she was this lovely, innocent girl who wouldn't harm a fly. The next, well… Donna couldn't simply put it into words.

"It's like someone had written a biography about my life, and she had recited it word for word."

"… and before this happened, this girl didn't act suspicious?"

Donna shook her head. "She worked as a waitress 40hrs a week. Sometimes, she would model for me."

"With an income from your shots, she would have no reason to work a minimum wage job. She definitely had something to hide. Any girl with a body and face like that would have no hesitation to model." Long-time friend Richard Grayson leant back in his seat, folding his hands as he examined some of Donna's work with the accused. There was a reason he was second to the best detective in the world.

Dick further examined the girl. Beautiful ruby locks, sun kissed glow, long slender body, and a curvaceous figure to show that she was a woman. But the one thing that got to Dick was the two orbs that felt as though they were looking deep into Richards own. They were such a vibrant emerald – not the acidic borderline yellow, no, these eyes were rich in colour. It was almost like she was perfectly photoshopped and placed to exist amongst the averages.

Definitely not to be confused with the generic. She was a sight to behold.

"And no one heard her?"

"Unless you count her dog. It looked like a maltese, crossed with… some other small fluffy dog. Jesus, just imagine those fluffy white happy dogs all girls want to put in their Gucci bag." Donna took another sip of her coffee. She didn't know what to think of Kori at this point in time. For all she knew, someone had put her up to this.

"Tell me the whole conversation."

"Of how the whole thing came about?"

Richard nodded his head.

"Well. We caught up, as usual. Talking about my work and whatnot. She is so gorgeous, I asked her why she didn't model full time. She made an excuse like how she thought people would think of her 'too foreign'."

"Too foreign? I thought photographers loved that sort of thing." Dick began to impatiently tap his finger, that sentence in itself was enough to raise alarms. He couldn't believe that the average person couldn't figure that out, but he then remembered that the average person wasn't brought up by Bruce Wayne. Things never went amiss when Bruce or Dick engaged even in the slightest conversations, so he had to give some sort of leeway.

"We do. But I didn't want to press it. But then she went quiet. She started to twitch."

"Twitch? How so?"

"Maybe not twitch, more like jolt. Like a surge of electricity went through her. She went pale, then she grabbed a hold of her hair at the roots, almost like she was about to pull them out. I asked if she was alright, but she never replied. It was almost like she wasn't paying attention." Richard arched an eyebrow, there were many possibilities circulating in his head, but he was never one to jump to conclusions.

"Then she started saying that I was a true friend. That was all she needed to know about me. I told her that I was her friend. And that's when it started." Donna took a second to breathe. She was taught to appear strong in public, mourn in private. This Amazonian couldn't show weakness, especially not in front of a male. Dick could see her trying to supress her tears; her pride was getting in the way and she refused to be made a fool.

"She denied that I was a superhero, saying that I was normal."

"Hmm. Did anyone mention the word superhero? Was it brought up in previous conversation?"

Donna shook her head. "I've been taught to avoid using that word at all costs, to protect my superhero life."

Dick bowed his head for a second, as if to signal he was in deep thought. This cut out a fair few of his previous theories, but he couldn't help but feel something was out of place.

"Then out of nowhere, she just blatantly asked if I was Troia. I didn't know how to respond. Kori looked like she had an emotion breakdown while she recited my birth."

"Specifically?"

"All of it. She said that Diana was Wonder Woman and that she was my sister. She said that we were from Themyscira and that we were princesses. She said my existence was to be a playmate." Donna grimaced, something just occurred.

"She was about to talk about Dark Angel, but then she literally slapped herself across her own cheek."

"She slapped herself? With full force with intention to hurt herself?"

"Yeah. Then all of a sudden, she just flew away. Dick, she can nearly fly at the speed of light. Not many heroes can fly at a comparable speed. And here I thought she was just a pretty face with next to no confidence."

Dick knew to always expect the unexpected, so there was no chance of Donna catching up to her. What caught Dick was that she slapped herself. What sane person would intentionally hurt their self? It didn't make any sense. Maybe that was the part that this Kori girl had slipped up on.

"Did you not hear me? She sped off! If I didn't know her and I walked down the street, I would've taken her for just another model. She's not like any other person! She figured out the purpose of my existence, and I can count on one hand the amount of people who know this confidential information!"

"Donna, think. Why would she intentionally slap herself?"

"Because she… wanted to shut up? But anyone could shut their own mouth. It seems a bit excessive to slap yourself. Unless…" Donna leaned back in her seat. She could kind of see where Dick was heading with this, but she knew she had slipped up along the way. "You think someone was controlling her to say these things?"

"Not controlling her, but no sane person slaps themselves in the face." Dick realised Donna wasn't following in his train of thought. But he didn't mind, sometimes, the way to make clear of a situation was to hear it out loud.

"You said she denied that you were a superhero. It almost suggests that someone was saying that you were, and she refused to believe it."

"But no one was around. But then again, she was cutting out in mid-sentence. She wasn't listening to me, it's like she was talking to herself." Dick noted the realisation that dawned over Donna. It was all too evident in her eyes. "You think she had voices in her head?"

Dick winked his eye, he took a sip his of drink before he began to further elaborate. "If I'm going on purely what you've provided, she's demonstrated the inability to carry a normal conversation. She has changed states of excitement to see you, to becoming withdrawn and pulling her hair. This girl is talking to herself, with no one else around to carry on a conversation, not to mention her talking of a topic you yourself told me you'd avoid at all costs."

"You really are the world's best detective."

Donna gave a heaving sigh. This was all too much for her to take in.

She had once thought this girl was a potential life-long friend. Now apparently she was hearing voices in her head. Donna knew that Dick could read far more into this than Donna could, but the emotional stress itself was too much for her to bear. She needed to have a quick lie down and forget about everything that happened today.

"Right, I need to go and talk with Diana. See what she wants to do about it."

"If she's capable of revealing our identity, I don't think any of the League would want to leave her amongst everyone else."

"Yeah, I'd better tell them where she lives." Donna placed a small hand over Dick's shoulder, giving a heartfelt smile. "Thank you, Dick."

Dick nodded his head as she took her leave.

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"How was your day?"

"I just want today to end."

"Huh, that bad?"

Dick rolled his eyes beneath his sunglasses. "You would never believe it."

This earned him a giggle from the newly crippled girl. It was refreshing to see a small smile on her face, after all the trauma she had been through, it was a lot to take in. Nevertheless, he knew that if roles were reversed, he knew that he'd have to get a restraining order just to get her away. She was selfless like that, and he needed to show some sort of respect to her to show that he wasn't a bad friend in turn.

With that, Dick handed her a takeaway long black with a chocolate roll croissant. Babs smiled at his thought, he knew her favourite pick me up.

"Thanks."

Dick couldn't help but stare into Babs' eyes. He knew that look, it wasn't a look to be confused with one night stands and lust. He could actually feel Bab's love for him grow even more, if that was possible.

These thoughts made him feel guilty.

_Can't she see that I'm doing this out of friend obligation? _There was one side that loved her once upon a time ago, but that love had faded into nothing more than siblings. Dick knew that Babs was reading too much into these small gestures, these were things that friends would do if they were a newly cripple. He thought she was a woman of logic. But like many women, emotions do come out to play, and they definitely play hard.

He couldn't think of any way of possibly breaking it easy to her.

"You know, you're the reason why I've been getting up. You've made me feel like there is something…" Babs reached for his hand, Dick mentally slapped his head. He should have seen this coming a mile away; she was going in for the kill. He knew he couldn't deny her, not in this current state she was in! She was so vulnerable! How could he have been so stupid?! He needed to cut her off ASAP.

"Look Babs-…"

"Please, Dick. Let me finish."

_And there it goes. Now I'm going to look like a heartless bastard._

…

"Its been a couple of weeks since this… ordeal happened." Obviously still a bit sensitive, but Didn't expect anything less.

"… I feel like when you're around, you make me feel that living with this disability will be easy. As long as you're with me."

"You're my friend Babs. I'll always be there."

Babs wasn't stupid, he knew she picked up on the intentional _f _word. Of course that didn't go unnoticed, or that would be asking for a miracle.

"Dick. What do you think of me?"

…

There was a time when Dick had loved Babs far greater than the moment the two shared now. He remembered he would watch her from afar, she was loved by many men – and so she should be. Dick reminisced the day she final accepted his offer for dinner, he made sure Alfred searched all around the country to find the best restaurant and demanded for a table that night, if the factor that Dick Grayson demanded to be seated wasn't enough to persuade them, the sight of a American Express Centurion Card was a definite – especially seeing there was no limit.

He had a PA search for the most expensive Giorgio Armani suit freshly pressed and suited to make his physique stand out. Roses were sent to her doorstep followed by chocolates. He made sure the limousine was ready on the dot, if anything went wrong on that day, he probably would have to be restrained from killing.

So it could be said that when she broke up with him, his world came crashing down.

He couldn't figure it out, he treated her like a princess and gave her every possible thing he had. He would have given the very shirt off his back it meant making her happy, and with the fact she would be happy, he felt fulfilled. She was a smart, beautiful and intelligent individual, she was a simple girl, and yet he couldn't even keep the simplest happy in his presence. After a few weeks of mourning, his father gave him advice to help move on from heartbreak.

And from his only love, Dick Grayson became a shadowing playboy of his father. Some could even say he was his successor.

Later in life, Dick had learnt that though many women loved a good night out on the town, spoilt here and there, these women were only good for short term pain relief – and they knew it. Some thought they could change him, but with intelligence and his fathers advice, he knew love was something that heroes could never cling to.

So he promised unless he had met the rare breed of lady that were beautiful, intelligent and kind, he would refuse to fall in love.

… And thus, Dick found himself in the predicament where his first love – beautiful, intelligent and kind, had become a newly paraplegic and was in her darkest hour. He was the biggest idiot. She proclaimed her ongoing love for him, and he felt like the biggest bastard in the world.

What could he say?

With a million thoughts and possibilities running through his head, there wasn't enough courage to spit them out. His brain was working beyond belief, but his mouth was stone, refusing to deserved an answer at least, he couldn't be a coward and hide her from the truth.

Yet Babs was smart. This silence was enough to give her the answer she needed.

A lone tear swept down her porcelain cheek.

"I'm sorry."

Kissing her forehead. As he walked away, he had taken the cowards way out. Never had he been so disappointed in himself, not for giving a short two word answer. No, that wasn't the case.

He had felt disappointed that even though he could hear her cry and scream in pain, he had never felt so relieved to detach him from the situation and find a loophole to escape.

Sometimes, the cowards way out was for the best.

.

.

.

.

.

After pushing himself to the absolute limit, he knew Gotham would always need a protector, and he could no longer rely on Richard – he had worries of his own. It wasn't in his nature to sit around, nor did he ever want to become a liability because of his emotions.

So Bruce kicked his own ass out of his study, got into his uniform and must to Alfred's protest, got out once again. He had to keep in mind that Alfred intentions were only for the best of Bruce, but the butler knew his words fell on the ears of a very stubborn man. He had even missed an emergency meeting because of his sorrows, he was becoming a person he despised being. So he knew this patrol would be a nice refresher.

He had to admit, a change of scenery always helped. It got his mind off the fact he was a useless father.

No sooner than five minutes in patrol, he had spotted a few men following a drop dead gorgeous red head. With a body and tan like that, he knew that these suspicious men were only after one thing – and it didn't matter if she complied or not.

Perching from the building, he could tell the girl had tried to keep her wits about her by walking in the light, but he saw the taller of the two push her down an one-way alley. Bruce knew what this meant.

Time for Batman to save the say.

He had leaped from leap top, swinging down and landing at the entrance/exit. Bruce saw the fear installed in the mens' eyes.

"Thought you were on hiatus? Didn't Robin's death scare you back into your cave?"

These guys definitely had a mouth on him, but Batman never let petty words get the best of him, especially of those that came from the mouth of a potential rapist.

Batman grimaced at the taller one, running through with a punch, but Batman had parried, dodging the fist as he had hit the pressure point in the neck, making the crook drop to the ground in immense pain. He turned to the smaller one, shaking in fear as he fell back beside the beauty. He knew when he had lost, Batman smirked. At least these pathetic lowlifes knew when not to fight.

"Look, man. We're sorry! We didn't mean to do anything! Just let us go, and you won't see us! We promise!"

The vigilante had a look that was stone cold, no one could read what his facial cues were giving off. Just the way he liked it.

"I would've, but I don't appreciate you calling my sidekick dead."

…

Throwing the two thugs hand cuffed against a walkway light, he turned back to the girl.

Though she had blood running down the side of her head, she stroked a small white dog, cooing it to stop it from shaking. She had the most gorgeous fiery mane, he could've sworn it was natural – but no red was that perfect. He noted the long, slender figure she possessed. Model, perhaps? Maybe an aspiring one, who knew if she would make the cut, many girls have dreams of making it down the runway, but very few are lucky if they are even scouted.

But there was one thing that stood out.

Those eyes.

They shone of nothing but emerald. They were so rich of hope and life. Batman could have cringed, he knew the life of Gotham had a tendency to drain the happiness of those so innocent.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" He held out his hand.

"I am better now. Many thanks, Batman." She had gracefully taken it. Brushing the dirt off her now dirtied jeans, she bowed her head.

"May I ask for a name?"

She looked flattered, a light blush swept across her cheek. Even though he had lost a son, it looked like Bruce still had the charm to flatter a gorgeous girl.

"Kori, Kori Anders."

Batman bowed his head, shooting off a latch from his gun that mounted on the highest rooftop. Before Kori could respond, he headed off into the night. Many thoughts pondered in the quick ten minutes of his patrol, but he already needed to head home. Two thugs were nothing for a days work, but there was something about that Kori girl that threw him off.

Initially, he thought of the foreign look this girl had. Of course, she was beautiful, but she was beyond generically looking. Not only was it unorthodox, but it looked natural.

Too natural.

It's a good thing he had manners to help the girl from the ground, or he would never had spot the holo-ring she had on her right hand.

.

_Looks like this Kori girl has secrets._

_._

Bruce smirked. Even after the death of his son, it looked like he still had it in him.


	3. The Feel Good Drag

Filler chapter, needed to happen, so hence the short length. Small chapters plant the basis of stories, either that, or there was a terrible case of writers block. In any case, please review! Enjoy the chapters guys and gals. x

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_**Lips that need no introduction, now whos the greater sin? Your drab eyes seem to invite... tell me darling, where do we begin? - Anberlin, The Feel Good Drag.**_

_**x**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

"_Kori?"_

"_Yes, my dearest?"_

_Kori tightened her hands around her little brothers head, pulling him close to her chest. She refused to let her little brother witness his childhood best friends' body being scavenged. Many of the prisoners haven't eaten in what seemed like weeks. When one falls in the cells, the others circle the weak like vultures until their dying breath, they then pounce and salvage any bit of flesh that would fill their empty stomachs._

_Kori held her breath as she too closed her eyes. She couldn't let her little brother witness the death and cannibalism of his best friend. _

"_Leave him alone!"_

_Ryan fought to free himself from his older sisters grip, but she further buried his face deep in her bosoms, feeling his hot tears trail in between her small breasts. He punched, he slapped, at one point he even kicked, but Kori stood her ground for the greater wellbeing of her brother._

"_Please, my dearest. Please do not look! Do not fight it." Stroking his ruby looks, she attempted to soothe him whilst blocking out the chewing and fighting over the food. _

"_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." She watched them scavenge the remains, her people were truly hungry. Not even pools of blood splashed, for the people too were dehydrated. Kori couldn't believe it, fighting back the urge to throw up the lining in one of her nine stomachs. Tears flowed deep within the roots of her little brothers' hair._

"_You make me happy, when skies are grey." Both siblings could hear suckling for marrow. In a sickly way, she could feel Ryan too weak to fight his urge. She loosened her embrace to allow him to breathe._

"_You never know dear, how much I love you." Kori continued to whisper in a timid, broken voice. She could see the guards laughing, throwing stones to further aggravate the broken nation. They were nothing but savages trying to live in this definition of a hell hole. Kori pulled Ryan's head up, trying to turn face to face, but she had realised all she saw was his ear. Gasping, she turned his head._

_Deathly pale. Eyes dull and lifeless. Kori gasped, before collapsing in tears. Why couldn't he realise that she was trying her hardest to protect him? Why did he fight to see this deathly sight? But there was nothing she could do about it anymore. Ryan at a young age, had witnessed what people do in desperate times to survive. He was about to learn a harsh lesson._

"_Please don't take my sunshine away."_

_._

_._

_._

They may not have been related by blood, but by all good things gracious… like father, like son.

After hearing of his father's recent escapade, he had decided to sort this mess out once and for all. Bruce had learnt of her name, her intention to seek refuge in this broken city and even picked up on her ring. Dick donned a clever smile of his own.

His father had definitely taught him well.

"She's still in Gotham, I can sense her."

If she wasn't Azarathean, he could enlist one to help progress his search. With the strongest of them all – not to mention the daughter of the devil, he was sure that there would be some such luck. Rachel Roth, recent honours graduate in health sciences, with future plans to obtain her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Whilst in troubled times, Rachel turns into her hero alias – Raven. A powerful human-demon hybrid with powers beyond imagination.

With her legs crossed, she floated in the middle of her small apartment, hands resting at the respected knee. Her facials did not flinch even once, showing a great amount of concentration. What seemed like forever, Rachel opened her eyes with a small puff of breath. That was never a good sign.

"Her soul is corrupted."

"Like many of the aliens that come to Earth. Majority of them are runaways, captives, slaves or refugees. No one comes to Earth for a holiday."

Yes, that was the cold harsh truth of Earth. It was a place where many sought out for redemption; somehow, living in garbage dumpsters salvaging scraps seemed better than being held captive. Richard had only heard stories from those in the league about being held captive and tortured. He had seen scars on the mightiest of warriors, the ones who were damaged the most were the ones who smiled.

Rachel bowed her head, she knew what it was like trying to find a safe haven amongst the Earthlings – she was half human herself. A few people did not accept her because her father was literally the devil, but she knew there were better ones who accepted her for who she was.

She knew they accepted her devil heritage because they too knew the pain of being an outcast. No one truly deserved to be isolated.

"But you can still sense her in Gotham?"

"Yes, but she is a different case." Richard cocked a brow, definitely something he had never heard Rachel say before.

"How so?"

He could see the tension in her eyes, almost like she had attempted to feel the pain the broken alien was feeling, but being an empath must have taken a large toll on her ability to control her emotions. As if on cue, the pot plant decorating the front door shattered into tiny shards, soil scattered all over the tiled floors. Richard could tell immediately that is Rachel couldn't handle her pain, then is alien definitely was another case.

Assisting his sister-like friend over to the couch, he handed her the now cold lemon green tea. He could never figure out why she liked to drink her hot beverages cold.

"When I looked into her head, I was in a rusty dark dungeon, it smelt of death." Rachel took a deep breath, drinking her tea as she continued.

"I was chained, wearing a rag as attire, and these hoards of lizard-men were trying to hold me down. I blacked for a second…" Selective memory suppression? It seemed the likely option, as if she was trying to remove what would come after lizard-men holding her down, wearing something that left little to the imagination.

"… then a girl walked out, carrying a head of someone on a stick. Before I could figure anything else out, it was almost like I got kicked out her memory."

"Do you know if this head on the stick is a person she was close with?"

"I didn't have time to piece it together. Possibilities are endless."

_Indeed they are. _

"Where in Gotham is she?"

"Near Vic's new lab."

"Do you need me to ask Gar to come keep you company and protect you? I don't feel comfortable leaving you if you've seen such a horrific past."

"Gar?" It was now Rachel's turn to cock her eyebrow. She folded her hands, that same grimace Richard was all too familiar with reappeared on her face. "Let's be honest Dick, I'd probably be the one out of us that will protect us."

"Jesus, Rach. You've been in denial for the last 5 years about your guys' relationship."

"There is no relationship, Dick."

"Is that what you say to make yourself feel better?"

"Don't you have a runaway alien to capture?"

Richard winked his eye, putting his mask back on. Looked like this was his cue to leave before she sent him to a portal to hell. He went there once to save Gar after he went through her under-garments draw, was a place he definitely didn't want to go ever again.

Patting her shoulder, Richard went near the window as he prepared to lurk out into the city once more. "Give me an update if you find anything else."

"As always."

Richard gave a smile, before leaping from her apartment window and catching himself in the wind.

Tonight was the night he put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.

.

.

.

.

.

**Are you familiar with empaths and Azaratheans?**

_Is this the Raven girl you previously talked about? Has she already tried to infiltrate my memories?_

**Silly empaths. She's gone, for now. But that means Nightwing will be coming for you.**

Kori sat there in the snow, leaning against a building that looked like it had just finished construction. Peeping through the higher windows, Kori noted that the offices looked vacated, empty of furniture and décor, perhaps that was the look this new company was going for.

Flying up on the rooftops, Kori had let Silkie out of her handbag to stretch his little legs out, but he was too cold. His run around lasted for a good minute before he ran into the heat the Tamaraneans body emitted. Sitting there counting her blessings, Kori was grateful that her body could adjust to extreme temperatures. She can even withstand the vacuum of space, many species would never be able to adjust.

Just one of the advantages of being Tamaranean.

**Kori, things are going to happen to you.**

_Happen to me? What things? Will I be okay?_

**Kori, you need to understand that everything I say – as asshole they may come off, they will always come true. I need you to listen to me when I say so.**

_You are scaring me now. What is you-…_

Before Kori had time to react, she felt her eyes glow that same neon green. Her head shot up to the sky, snow gracefully sweeping across her sun kissed face. Tears stained as they fell down her cheek, shaking all over, Silkie pounced in her lap as he laid upon his little stomach, giving a low whimper. Even the dog was all too familiar with this situation.

Kori couldn't knock herself back into reality. No, the voices made sure they would see the future of Kori Anders.

.

_Plunging forward into the future, the out of body Kori attempted to find some sort of detail to signify how forward she was._

_She was in a fashion show, she could tell. Donna had once taken her to one before. There were bright lights that shone down on the catwalk, strategically placed so that photographers could capture every flattering shadow and pose. Surrounded around the walk way were famous designers, journalists, celebrities. Kori gave a gasp, beyond her self-esteem issues and the voices in her head, she enjoyed walking down the runway wearing different clothes. Working out was something Kori enjoyed, it complimented her well as she loved to eat clean, healthy and experiment with different foods._

_After being withheld from food for so long, she understood the necessity of food, it provided energy when the sun could not._

_Wandering for a bit, Kori gave an excited squeal. Tears flowed down her eyes, she never thought it would be possible._

_Not only was she modelling as an Angel, but there as moral support and professional photographer stood before her conscious body, in the flesh. It was perfect._

_Donna Troy stood with Kori, hugging her and congratulating about how far she had come. Kori couldn't restrain the tears as Donna continued. She praised Kori for being stronger than most beings who exist, Donna expressed how sorry she was that she didn't understand Kori's predicament and if she was only a little more understanding, things would have turned out better a lot more faster._

_But that didn't matter to Kori, she didn't expect people to understand her rare situation, she had a true friend back at her side. _

_All of a sudden, a flock of girls Kori didn't know surrounded her, cuddling her and laughing with her. Raising their smartphones, Kori smiled with Donna and the girls as they took photos, better known in the new world as 'selfies'._

_Kori couldn't believe it, she actually had a group of friends that actually wanted to be surrounded around her, smile with her, be seen with her. People that actually liked her._

"_He's here as well! Richard Grayson came to see you specifically!"_

"_See? Told ya Kor. I never lie to ya."_

_She even had a nickname, something that doesn't resemble a female clad with males or dirt. Name friends gave to others to show affection. Her chest puffed like a proud bird, a large smile peaked on her face. She had to captivate this moment, but then she blocked out her surroundings as she closed her eyes._

_One day, this vision will be a reality like all the others._

_._

_._

_._

**Kori?**

She smiled. _Yes?_

**When you regain consciousness, you sit there and don't panic.**

_Don't panic? What do you mean?_

**Kori, just stay strong. I'll come back to you soon, please, just trust me.**

…

Kori woke with a jolt.

Feeling Silkie against her leg on his hind legs, she could hear the dog let a low growl beneath his breath. **Remember, stay strong. Our lives depend on it.**

**.**

Kori felt her vision become clear, only to remember she sat against a newly constructed building on the rooftop. More tears poured down her face as she looked up.

Her eyes met an Eskrima stick held to her head.

"Kori Anders?"

Kori bowed her head, she knew it would be him. The voices said that would be coming tonight, and she heard that, she would have fled. Maybe the visions were used as a diversion, but she knew they would be coming true. So she did the one thing she did when times were at their lowest.

She smiled.

"Greetings, Richard Grayson."


	4. Little Wing

Hope the new years is treating everyone well! So this chapter definitely has some angst in it. With most of the groundwork established, I think the drama can happen! Pretty excited with how this story is progressing! Please review, I'd love to know how I'm doing. I'm pretty friendly, and love to make new friends! : )

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_**"'It's alright," she says, "It's alright. Take anything you want from me." Anything. Fly on, little wing." - Jimi Hendrix, Little Wing.**_

**x**

**.**

.

.

.

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The dreams weren't happening. Kori sighed, she figured the voices in her head must have been sensed the empath very close by. Leaning back, Kori felt something stir within her.

If she possesses these powers beyond comprehension, then these voices must have done this for its own safety.

Kori stared in her blank chamber at the same white wall for the umpteenth time. She had no idea what time it was, let alone the date. She couldn't remember the date of her capture, all she could recall was the voices placing her in a state of shock, then her body entered a coma of some sort. What the people behind this one way window did to her was beyond her, but she figured she would be okay if she still had clothes that covered her body, let alone a room that could be inhibited by a human.

There was the possibility of breaking out, it flowed around Kori's head, but she had seen some of the heroes on television. There was a Kryptonian that found safe passage in a small Kansas town, apparently is said to be the strongest man in existence. Kori had heard stories from her Knorfk'a flying to their planet, saying their technologies were advance, that there were colours there that people couldn't even begin to describe or imagine. She was told their strength rivals that of Tamaraneans, even surpass. Then there was Diana of Thermyscira, the Amazonian race. Kori couldn't help but sneer, she knew they two would not get along for a multitude of reasons.

The voices told stories of heroes who were all powerful Martians, men who could run faster than the speed of light… She even heard of a lantern coming to protect this solar system with a magical ring and willpower. _Willpower, this hero must be a Green Lantern._

She noted Silkie jumping on the couch, giving a little run around before he would jump off, then do it all again. She couldn't help but laugh at her dog, simple things definitely amused simple minds.

"Kori Anders?"

Turning her head, she greeted the lady with a smile.

"Greetings, Rachel."

"What do you know?"

Reluctant to answer, there was a certainty that the voices didn't like this Azarathean, but Kori didn't sense the uneasiness her audio hallucinations did. Then again, Kori didn't inhabit the mind of a being.

"I know everything about you." A dark shade appeared on the glowing face that was once Kori Anders. Almost as if she was coming off hostile. Given the memories Rachel had observed, she could understand the current situation, still… watching over her movement, Kori always seemed to give off a radiant bubbly personality. Even held in captivity, she showed no hesitation to roll around with her handbag dog. Rachel couldn't place her finger on it… what changed?

"And I take it the voices told you not to converse with me?"

Kori bit her bottom lip for a bit. She could've mentally slapped herself for the facial cue giveaway. What's stopping her from looking like a bigger idiot?

"What voices?"

That. That sentence made her look sillier than before. If Rachel was capable of laughing, she would've. If anything, she admired her persistence, even if she knew how stupid she looked.

"You can play that game with me, or I can rip open your pretty little head and say hi to the voices myself." Rachel leaned in to Kori, her eyes starting to glow black. With a kick of adrenaline, Kori found her eyes glow that same dangerous green when someone dared to challenge her.

"I can safely assume that you will violate others' memories without permission? You already did that in my sleep."

With the vision of her future fuelling her fire, this was a side Kori had no idea she had. It was a side she kind of wished she didn't have for she didn't like back chatting and coming off so arrogant, but if there was just one small opportunity to live a normal life – then by all means, there was not a single entity alive that would rip that away from her.

"I do it when I find out someone knows everything about my friends, things they're not meant to know. How's that for a violation of others memories?"

Rachel leaned back with a satisfactory grin, but Kori didn't want to back down yet. Her futures friendships, working career and by the sounds of things – love life were all on the line. Even though she had never experienced the following, she wasn't going to let an over protected Azarathean take it all away from her.

"I apologize, your over protection descends upon the night you found Malchoir in bed with your former best friend Toni Monetti? Perhaps it was when your heart broke when you found out a Garfield Logan decided to rekindle his relationship with a Tara Markov. Or should we being to talk about the feelings you had for Richard Grays-…"

Without warning, Rachel's hands began to glow a dangerous black, raising the bed she sat on as she flung it at Kori. Being a girl with amazing reflexes, Kori flew back as she caught the bed in mid-air before lunging it back at Rachel near light speed. If it wasn't for the barrier Rachel threw up in a blink of an eye, she knew she'd go right through the one way window with glass shards all over her body. Rachel sighed, she was lucky she was a fast thinker.

Kori and Rachel stood at a standoff with nothing but a floating basin, but that was interrupted by none other than Richard Grayson.

"Rachel! Calm down!"

The floating basin smashed on the ground, following by a gasping Rachel.

"Forgive me, Dick. I let my emotions get the best of me."

"You need to meditate."

With Kori's sudden outburst of Rachel's confessions, Rachel hung her head in shame. She couldn't believe a person had the power to infiltrate even the darkest secrets without the person knowing, especially if that person was someone like Rachel who spent a lifetime exploring the mind and its potential.

Kori watched as Rachel bowed her head, leaving the room. Before Kori had time to hear Nightwing's response, Kori swooped Silkie in her arms and retreated into the safety of the corner.

Deciding to leave the girl in peace, Nightwing walked out of the room not bothering to lock the door. The only lock that he needed was the reassurance the whole Justice League would drop everything the second she attempted a breakout. After her display of power and potential, it was an understatement to say she would be placed under surveillance at all times with a double up of security and someone on call, preferably someone who could get there the fastest.

Donna took a seat next to the now unmasked Richard, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't know you and Rachel had a thing."

"Neither did I." Bitter and curt, definitely a trait she could see Rachel liking, but Richard grimaced at the thought of the girl he once thought of as a sister. "But there are more important things to worry about."

"Got some information from Hal. Orange skin, green eyes all over, ruby hair… She's a Tamaranean, no doubt about it." Donna threw the paperwork right on the table. Richard's frown only intensified, _Great. More paper work. _"Super strength, flight, advanced healing and adaptive to different climates – it explains how she was able to live in the snow. Prime traits of a Tamaranean."

"And the power balls emitting from her hands and eyes?"

"That's what stumped us. It's unheard of a Tamaranean to have those characteristics. There were suggestions floating around – cross breeding, genetic modification, mother jumping the fence… List goes on."

Looking into the window, Richard saw someone he could have easily passed off as a cheerful happy young lady without a care in the world. She seemed so happy with the simplest of things, even just having her dog in her possession is enough to keep her going. Many girls were so reliant on possessions, he figured that maybe she came from a less than fortunate upbringing which made her appreciate everything she comes into contact with.

Yet, she sat in the corner crying. If Rachel's demon face wasn't enough to make her hide in the corner, Richard couldn't even begin to think what was going through this girls head at this very moment. It was doing his head in not knowing.

Folding his hands, not once did his beautiful blue eyes leave the sight that is Kori Anders.

"Donna? What was she like before?"

Donna sighed, folding her hands as she too began to examine the alien. "She was carefree, bubbly and happy. Would never hurt a fly."

"But she challenged Rachel, knowing she was the daughter of the devil."

"I know. That stumped me too."

Donna couldn't offer an explanation, but Richard deducted a plausible explanation, one he knew was right.

"Come and get me when she's settled down. I want to talk with her."

.

.

.

**The empath and Nightwing have left the floor.**

It was a familiar scene. Kori was sitting on the ground pouring her heart out to a canine that couldn't even talk and voices in her head that communicated with her so frequently, she struggled to see her life without the audio hallucinations.

Gripping her hands around her shoulders, she would've killed just to felt someone comfort her. Just for someone to tell her that everything was going to be okay… to feel what it was like to be cared for, even if it was just for a moment.

_Why did you do that?_

**I didn't trust her. **

_So trust me! You know I wasn't going to say anything. Why did you take control of my body again? _

**Kori, this is for the best. You will understand.**

"Understand? It is near impossible for me to comprehend this current situation, not to mention I am the one stuck in the middle!"

**Don't vocalise your thoughts. You'll raise a cause for concern.**

"Oh X'Hal, they are not stupid! They know, you're just delaying the inevitable!"

… **That's exactly what I'm doing.**

**.**

Kori began to cry harder, she could talk to the voices all she wanted to, but they just talked in riddles. The second she figured something out, three fresh riddles evolved. She was always stuck in the middle of whatever ploy the voices thought up of, she was sick of living in fear she would walk into a trap.

"Oh Silkie, you must be annoyed with the reoccurring situation. But I must ask…"

Kori looked dead in the window, knowing her eyes met Donna's. Little did the League know that the voices were always active, even when they seem dormant to outsiders. The voices were watching, waiting to spread secrets hid in their closet.

Secrets that if people know, it would literally end the world.

"Why me?"

.

.

.

.

.

"How's Babs' going?"

"There's a number of possibilities I could answer that question."

"And they all somehow relate to either her struggling to cope with her new impairment, or me being the biggest douche?"

"You always were smart."

"Knew it."

"Just be glad she didn't hear about Rachel's little confession with the Tamaranean."

"Jesus, Dad. Who the hell told you?"

"Son, you're forgetting who I am."

Not bothering to hear the rest, Richard threw his phone on his sofa. Patrol tonight was a bit slow, a few thieves here and there.

A sudden wave of guilt hit him when he pulled up his phone. It had 10 missed calls from Babs.

_10 missed calls? I must be the worst friend in the world._ He became an even worse of a person when he couldn't even bring himself to ring her.

_I'll go and see her after my interrogation tomorrow._

Being back in Gotham definitely brought back many nostalgic memories, but being here for his father was the main thing – even if he was on his way to his private jet. Yup, the old man decided to learn what a vacation was, and decided to join the rest of the world. Selena opted for the Bahamas, and that girl always got what she wanted.

It was a relief to hear Bruce going on a much needed holiday. Flash was taking his patrol even further out to Bludhaven, warning Dick on some suspicious activity and even the odd hold-up. Needless to say, Wally was being a great help in his absence, now the trouble was finding something to give to him in return. There was the possibility of sending him and Linda on a getaway when this was all over, that would be a sure way to wingman a best friend.

"Foods up!"

Walking into the kitchen, long-time friend Victor Stone decided to play Alfred in his absence. That, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat all his food.

Known as Cyborg amongst the Justice League, he had given up most of his field work to work on machinery, communications and gadgets. But he didn't mind, Victor often found himself in his forte surrounded in anything used by either oil or electricity. There were the odd times he would jump back in on the physical action, but they were mainly related to something involving technology.

Owner and operator of STAR labs, his wife Sarah Simms was currently travelling around the world performing maintenance and checks at the operating sites. There were reports of malfunctions that could have been easily avoided, Victor decided it was best to stay here and help out his friend. Not to mention a side of him missed patrolling and kicking bad guy ass.

Richard began to eat, but his appetite slowly diminished as he watched the cyborg. For every waffle he ate, Vic ate four. It was like this guy had a black hole as a stomach.

Vic noted his lack of appetite as he placed his fork down. "Still down after Rachel's little episode?"

"First Donna, Bruce was just waiting to rip me down with it and now you. God, for all we know, this could've been a little crush that happened when we were like 16."

Vic found his appetite hiding in his stomach, and then he began to munch down everything edible within sight. "Try a week ago. And it's been there for a while."

Dick froze. He really didn't need to hear that. Slamming his hands on the table, he leaned back in his chair, chest puffed, arms folded and fingers twitching in irritation. Vic drew on a happy smile, taking this as a full stomach, Vic picked up Dick's breakfast and began to ate it. Dick didn't even bother to defend his food.

"Could've gone a lifetime without knowing."

"So could I, but you're not the one on the hearing side of it."

"Right, so she still has a crush on me?"

Dick watched as his cyborg friend layer inhumane amounts of maple syrup on his waffle stack. How Vic didn't have diabetes was a mystery to the second best detective in the world, it was something he would never be able to figure out. If anything, it would definitely give Bruce a run for his money.

"Well the day before yesterday she just started blushing whenever your name came out. And you know what Rach is like – you're lucky if you hear a sentence from her."

Rubbing his temples, Dick wandered if there was a possibility if he could make Bruce's trip to the Bahamas in time. He didn't care if he had to sleep on the floor.

"This is the last thing I need. First there's an alien who can predict shit, Babs ringing me on a continuous string and now this."

"Why don't you go and see her? I'll be there in case things get a bit awkward."

"She's rung me 10 times in a space of 2 hours."

"Stage 5 clinger." Victor gave a small chuckle, Richard gave a half-hearted version of a smirk, but he could tell the new comer in confinement was causing him too much grief. As if the poor guy didn't have enough on his place. Victor cocked his head slightly, he couldn't even remember a time he mourned for his dead brother.

"That Tamaranean doing your head in?"

"She's leaving me at a stump with the refusal to talk. My only way of getting her to open up was with Rachel, but now…"

"Yup." Vic let out a burp, before rubbing his stomach. "You're stuck, buddy. But I'll come down to the investigation room to help you out."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Victor's happy façade began to fade as he leant in, a stern look appearing on his face. "While you interrogate, I'll run some diagnostics on her, see if we can pick up on anything Raven's magic might've missed out on."

"Anything will help, thanks again."

"No prob."

.

.

.

.

.

The dreams were still absent. For once, Kori could actually get a good night's rejuvenating rest. Even if it was in a confinement room.

Kori was just grateful that this confinement room had a bed in it.

Looking over at the door, she saw Silkie eating new portions of food. Walking to the table, Kori noticed a bowl of honey porridge, a banana, a glass of milk and her water bottle filled. With nothing else to do, Kori sat at the table attempting to eat her food.

Recalling yesterday's events, her appetite seemed to have ran away along with her liveliness. At this point, Kori just wanted to lie back on her bed and pull the covers over her head. The voices were circulating around in her head, but she tried her best to lead a normal day in confinement. Kori sat there trying to figure out what exactly these vigilantes were trying to achieve, obviously Kori didn't have the freedom to expose each and every person, but she couldn't be locked here forever, it was just unheard of – especially if she was innocent.

"Kori?"

Kori moved her seat back, looking at the newly entered person.

"Good morning, Mr. Grayson."

Richard looked at the girl, she had no accordance with time. Picking that she must have woken up, he decided not to correct the girl that it was 3pm in the afternoon. Never one to pick at irrelevant information, Richard took a seat beside the girl.

"Call me Dick."

Kori nodded.

"How may I be of assistance?"

"Well." He noted the amount of food she had, she probably turned over a few oats and attempted to open the banana before throwing it back on the plate. Mentally linking lack of appetite with depression, there were obvious signs of mental illness. Of course, this was all to be expected with voices telling you every secret in the world.

"That wasn't you talking with Rachel, was it?"

"What do you mean?" Kori cocked her head like a little bird looking curious, but Dick saw right through that little ploy of innocence.

"I know of your voices. Donna told me about your last encounter. I know you didn't tell Donna everything, I know the voices have the ability to take over your body and control it." Kori gave a sigh of relief knowing she had no more tears to shed. If anything, she was glad someone was able to see through her little secret of her own. "So correct me if I'm wrong, but I know that wasn't you talking to Rachel yesterday."

Kori leaned back in her seat, listening to Dick's elaborate explanation. "Donna told me that you weren't capable of hurting a fly, and someone with a personality like that would hide at the sight of Rachel, not throw a bed at her face."

She couldn't help it, with the amount this guy predicted so correctly, her chipped brittle fingernails became so much more interesting.

"Please, Kori. I just want to help."

Peaking her up, a faint hopeless smile drew upon her face. Richard noted the drained colour, weak attempt to shield what secrets she had.

"I want to get these secrets out of my head. I know of things many people will kill to keep quiet."

Richard sighed with relief. It's a start.

"When did these voices start?"

"Hmm." Kori tapped her chin, to be truthfully honest, Kori hadn't thought about when this all started, they were just with her as far as the experimentations started.

**I've been with you since the experiments. You're free to talk to him.**

_So why can I talk with him, but not Rachel?_

**Because, I said so.**

_Seems hardly fair, does it not? Which going back on topic, how did you even come to inhibit?_

**That's a story for another time.**

Noticing the frequent changes in facial cues and breathing, Richard folded his hands, leaning back into his seat. "Are your voices talking to you?"

Kori had completely forgotten about Richards presence after thinking of the questions he would come to ask. It would have helped if she too had an idea of what was living in her head. Nodding her head, Richard continued. "What are they saying?"

The Tamaranean became hesitant, but the voices pressed. **You can tell him.**

…

"They said they came to me when I was used as an experiment."

"An experiment?"

Kori nodded her head. Richard had his finger on what Donna said the other day, things were very slowly piecing together. Of course to Richard, these things came together with time and logical sense. "So, that's how you got your solar beams and eye beams?"

_What?!_

How did he know that? What she truly that predictable? Her breathing intensified, but the inner speech in her head knew it had a person to protect.

"It is a time I'd rather not reflect upon. Unspeakable, unforgivable things happened whilst I was in confinement." She tried hard, but the tears could not be restrained. Richard reluctantly tried to answer, but Kori shook her head as a means to let her carry on. "I remember being experimented upon by the Psions, left for dead. The voices came to me to let me know how to escape, it navigated my way to Earth and has helped me live on this planet ever since. But during this time, I have learnt things… Things that should be left unspoken of."

"Give me an example."

"I can't. If I voice them, something unfortunate will happen. I know it."

"Kori." Richard held his hand out, he could just see the pain and heartbreak floating around in her emerald orbs. A forgiving smile appeared on her beautiful face as Richard continued to talk. "You can trust me."

"… You will not betray me?"

"I promise."

**He has to trust you, Kori. Remember, he knows that you're capable of knowing anything. He knows the damage you can do if he betrays you. You have me.**

A smile appeared on her face, she had another person she could trust.

"I knew of the death of your brother Jason Todd before it happened." A deep breath in and out, Kori found determination to carry on. She could feel the tension in the air become thick with this confession but she wanted to continue. "I predicted the Joker would lock you and Batman out as he had beaten him to death with a crowbar. I also knew through the duration, your girlfriend Barbara Gordon would become paralysed after being shot with a Desert Eagle in the lower abdomen. I also know Babs is-…

**NO. DON'T SAY THAT.**

"But you said I could trust him?! Did you not say Babs would come to learn her fate last night?!"

**HE DOESN'T KNOW THAT YET.**

"What?! B-but you just said…" Slowly grabbing the root of her hair between her long thin fingers, she looked back at Richard who began to protest, worried for the sake of his friend.

"Kori? You need to tell me. What's wrong with Babs?!"

**You've given it away, altered the future. Foolish girl!**

"B-but I don't understand." Kori stood from her chair, retreating back to the safe haven of the corner. Regaining herself in foetal position, she pressed her face as close as she could to her knees, crying in hysterics.

"You said I could trust him!"

Richard sprinted, skidding on his knees as she slid to Kori's side. Grabbing her shoulders, he began to shake the girl frantically. "Kori, you need to tell me! What is wrong with Babs?!"

"D-did she not ring you last night after your patrol?!"

_This girl really does know everything._ Richard grew numb, he knew something was wrong. The second he saw those missed calls, he knew something was up. Instead, he was too busy with the alien, this beautiful alien with many, _many_ secrets he needed to know. Just seeing the pain this girl had, he wrapped his arms around her.

"You have been the busy, the death of your brother, the distress of your father, the disfigurement of your friend, leaving your designated city to patrol another area, not to mention the outburst my audio hallucinations made yesterday regarding the Azarathean. I am sorry, I did not realise that your girlfriend did not make communication with you."

Richard leaned against the girl. All of a sudden, all the worries about the voices were turned around on him, making him see how much he had on his place. Falling against the wall beside the alien, he took a quick second to reflect back on the amount of drama that had fallen on not only his plate, but in his drink and all around the table.

"But if I don't control everything, who will?"

Kori looked over at him, wiping away the tears that stained her cheekbones. A strong smile appeared on her face. "If there is one thing the voices taught me, it is that some things we want to control just need to naturally take its course."

How ironic, she was now the interrogator. The comforter. Richard smiled, this beautiful girl exceeded that of what Donna spoke of. She really was a selfless thing.

He needed to face how terrible his neglect had been.

"I need to know, what is wrong with Babs?"

**If you tell him, he needs to give his word that he does not visit her.**

_But if my friend was in hospital receiving this news, I would want to see her as well. Besides, she rang him wanting to tell. It is not in my place to tell him._

"Whatever those voices are saying, I need to know. Please, I can't face her. Not after everything that's just happened."

She was having an internal conversation with her voices and reasons. Giving a small gasp, Kori turned to the handsome vigilante, folding her hands with determination. She knew the plan that the voices was making, and as much pain she could see dwelling in Richards eyes, she believed the bigger picture to be just as important.

"If I am to tell, you are to leave her alone. If she sees you now, she will be even more confused and look for comfort."

"Well of course I'm going to comfort her! You wouldn't do that if you had a childhood friend in hospital?"

"Of course I would. But, the voices predicted a horrible fate befall if you should leave after what I have told you."

"What will happen?"

Kori gave a sigh. She was grateful the voices allowed her tell the forsaken truths this one time. "She will think of the comforting as you loving her again as boyfriend and girlfriend, but the press will be circulating the hospital as her father will be there for the next week."

The sad future began to unfold from Richards possible actions. He gave a sigh, he really was in a terrible situation not even he could find a way out of.

"Rachel will find statements in the paper that you have rekindled a relationship with Babs, she will become unstable and distance herself from you. After hearing that there is no relationship, Babs too will distance herself away from you. She will become deeply depressed. She is currently taking medication such as Valium to cope with the stress and anxiety as well as codeine, but with the confusion, physical impairment and the feeling of vulnerability and betrayal circling – she will become dependent on these meds until it becomes prescription abuse."

Kori held her hand up, she knew he would intervene with the statement being something along the lines of 'I'll have her under constant supervision at the time.' But Kori already knew what would happen if that would happen.

"Should you do that, she will run away. There lies an even worse fate."

Richard sighed, this girl really did know what was going to happen. With every word she spoke of previously coming true, he knew this would really happen. He couldn't see his friend abusing pain killers, but then he couldn't see Rachel having a crush on him.

"Okay, I give my word."

Kori slid back, retracting all parts of body so she was not in any form of contact with Richard. Giving a sigh, she looked him deep in the eye.

_He gave his word._

.

.

"Richard, the gun shot hit her reproductive organs. Babs is now infertile."

…

Richard couldn't breathe. Tensing his eyes shut, he too began to grab his fingers between his ebony locks. Deep breaths in and out, almost to the point of hyperventilation. Kori bowed her head at the sight of the mourning bird. Tears flowed down her silent face, waiting for a reaction. Just anything to signal that he was okay.

Richard shook his head, he was anything but okay.

.

"I need to go."

But Kori sprinted to the door, using herself as a barricade. "You gave your word, Richard."

With a fierce yelp, Kori threw her head to the side. Richard had slammed his fist as hard as he could only centimetres away from where her face was previously located. Slowly retracting her head, Kori could see his determination to not break down in front of the alien.

"I'm a terrible friend."

…

**Comfort him.**

_Why? I am a stranger. I will not give him warmth he desires._

**You will. You are the sweetest girl in existence. Trust me.**

And so she did.

Mustering the strongest smile she could, the thought of having someone to embrace gave her the feeling of unbridled joy. To have a person in her arms gave her the power to take on the world. Levelling herself to his tall height, she placed a hand over his still tensed fist.

She thought of all the times she cried her heart, the nights she wept herself to sleep, the times she begged X'hal to send her a person she could shower with affection. Being a loner, Kori knew all too well how she wanted to be comforted. In similar ways, he too was a loner. Putting on a façade to bear the strength of his family and friends, he needed someone of his own to lift him high and steal his pain away.

Kori could help fill this void.

His tense softened the longer Kori kept her hand on his own. A small smile appeared on her face. This new found confidence empowered her to wrap her arms around his muscular neck, whispering in his ear.

"You need not worry, Richard."

Stroking his back, Richard had fallen on her, hands wrapped tightly around her waist. His entire body had fallen on her as he collapsed sobbing. Just caressing his lower back, holding him up and rocking him ever so slightly, Richard began to whisper words of pain and regret in Kori's sternum, but she still rocked him, cooing sounds escaping her thin lips.

As he continued to mourn, she held his beautiful face up, Kori ran her hands through his hair. Recalling herself once in this position, she spoke of words that she longed to hear from another person,

Words she knew herself that would come true.

.

"Everything will be okay, Richard. This I promise."

.

x


End file.
